German Domestic Violence Ads on Apartment Buildings

Effective or Upsetting? Domestic Violence PSAs on Windows

It's hard get a public service announcement about domestic violence right. We saw that earlier this year when a two-minute PSA, featuring Keira Knightley being hit, kicked, and shoved by a man, caused an uproar. Show violence and the whistle blowers will come; simply show a sad-faced woman and it might as well be a Midol ad. Now Germany is trying to curb domestic violence by covering windows with images of fake beating scenes and the message "looking away supports violence." For optimal impact, the ads are being placed over windows of highly visible apartment buildings. Anything unexpected will grab people's attention, but will that attention be good?

This was literally the sign I guess I needed to speak up and call the authorities on my neighbor who I saw hit his girlfriend last week. I hear them fighting a lot next door, but it escalated to him beating her while she sat in her car recently. I happened to drive by as he punched her or the wheel (couldn't clearly see). I didn't know if I should get involved or not (there are many other details to the story), but I think this is the sign that tells me YES!!!

5 years

Its really sad, its not only domestic violence is all violence you see and do nothing about, it always disturbed me in high school to see some guys or girls fighting and the rest of the students gather around enjoying themselves at these people behaving like animals. If i saw someone i cared about beat up and they said it was caused by a boyfriend/girlfriend i would seek help or at least call the police but domestic violence is something very private and its not something an abuser would do in public most of the time.

I think this will definitely strike a chord with people and make them think about domestic violence. I agree with greenfairy, true, it won't make the abusers stop, but maybe people will look at these and realize that being quiet about domestic violence is not the way to go.

A lot of people are saying it will help reduce domestic violence, but it won't. Campaigns like this never will. You can't stop someone from beating someone else with a poster or a commercial.
These ads do, however, help the abused gain the courage to report it. I think it also help diminish the bystander effect/diffusion of responsibility, where if everyone hears it, everyone assumes someone will do something, resulting in no one doing anything. It won't be much, maybe not even measurable. But that's what you get with public service warnings like this.

A lot of people are saying it will help reduce domestic violence, but it won't. Campaigns like this never will. You can't stop someone from beating someone else with a poster or a commercial. These ads do, however, help the abused gain the courage to report it. I think it also help diminish the bystander effect/diffusion of responsibility, where if everyone hears it, everyone assumes someone will do something, resulting in no one doing anything. It won't be much, maybe not even measurable. But that's what you get with public service warnings like this.

Domestic violence is upsetting, that's why showing it is an effective way of getting people to think about it... especially since the ad is directed towards everyone, not just those who are being abused or those who are doing the abusing.

I'm not sure it will make a difference. In a city like New York, for example, you have flashing lights and "shocking" signs all over the place and people really don't pay any attention to them. It might be a waste of money.

Also children need to learn that it's not okay - especially if they are witnessing it in their own home. Many children who grow up in that kind of home can struggle with their own domestic violence as an adult - either tolerating it when it's done to them or being the aggressor.
I like it! It's way too common. Just a week ago - we heard our neighbors fighting and literally heard somebody getting slapped - the slap sound was that loud. There was a lot of screaming and crying and we called the police to report it, but by the time the cops showed up, nobody was willing to say what happened and because we only heard it and didn't see it, we couldn't say what happened. I just worry because the adult daughter has a toddler and who knows what could happen to the toddler.

Also children need to learn that it's not okay - especially if they are witnessing it in their own home. Many children who grow up in that kind of home can struggle with their own domestic violence as an adult - either tolerating it when it's done to them or being the aggressor.I like it! It's way too common. Just a week ago - we heard our neighbors fighting and literally heard somebody getting slapped - the slap sound was that loud. There was a lot of screaming and crying and we called the police to report it, but by the time the cops showed up, nobody was willing to say what happened and because we only heard it and didn't see it, we couldn't say what happened. I just worry because the adult daughter has a toddler and who knows what could happen to the toddler.

I like the ad. People have to wake up and understand that domestic violence does exists,and is something that needs to be eradicated, and looking away won't do that. So what if children see it, we have to teach children about it from a young age so they can understand about it and know how to prevent it when they are older, so it won't happen to them.